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The Trump administration has dropped its nomination of Casey Means to be the next surgeon general, opting instead for radiologist and Fox News contributor Nicole Saphier.
Reminder: Means drew criticism for her lack of a medical license or experience treating patients, as well as her stances on a few topics. She had not garnered enough support in the Senate to be confirmed.
The details:
- Saphier graduated Ross University School of Medicine, completed her diagnostic radiology residency at Creighton University, and now serves as the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Monmouth, NJ, location. She has also been a regular contributor to Fox News.
- Saphier shares some commonalities with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, including an interest in personal wellness. She is the author of the book “Make America Healthy Again: How Bad Behavior and Big Government Caused a Trillion-Dollar Crisis,” which came out in 2020, years before Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy adopted the MAHA tagline. The book advocates for “personal responsibility” over “socialized medicine” to improve Americans’ health.
The bigger picture: The move is a blow to MAHA, after a months-long push to get Means confirmed. Leaders in the movement are outraged over the switch.
- They argue that Saphier is out of step with the movement. Some MAHA activists are calling to dismantle the surgeon general’s office if Means can’t have the job.
Read more: Trump drops Casey Means as surgeon general nominee, opts for radiologist Nicole Saphier; Trump pulls Means’ nomination for surgeon general; The new surgeon general nominee has a MAHA problem
Published
May 2026